• Title/Summary/Keyword: Disease outbreak

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African swine fever: Etiology, epidemiological status in Korea, and perspective on control

  • Yoo, Dongwan;Kim, Hyunil;Lee, Joo Young;Yoo, Han Sang
    • Journal of Veterinary Science
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.38.1-38.24
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    • 2020
  • African swine fever (ASF), caused by the ASF virus, a member of the Asfarviridae family, is one of the most important diseases in the swine industry due to its clinical and economic impacts. Since the first report of ASF a century ago, ample information has become available, but prevention and treatment measures are still inadequate. Two waves of epizootic outbreaks have occurred worldwide. While the first wave of the epizootic outbreak was controlled in most of the infected areas, the second wave is currently active in the European and Asian continents, causing severe economic losses to the pig industry. There are different patterns of spreading in the outbreaks between those in European and Asian countries. Prevention and control of ASF are very difficult due to the lack of available vaccines and effective therapeutic measures. However, recent outbreaks in South Korea have been successfully controlled on swine farms, although feral pigs are periodically being found to be positive for the ASF virus. Therefore, we would like to share our story regarding the preparation and application of control measures. The success in controlling ASF on farms in South Korea is largely due to the awareness and education of swine farmers and practitioners, the early detection of infected animals, the implementation of strict control policies by the government, and widespread sharing of information among stakeholders. Based on the experience gained from the outbreaks in South Korea, this review describes the current understanding of the ASF virus and its pathogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, and control.

A Detecting Technique for the Climatic Factors that Aided the Spread of COVID-19 using Deep and Machine Learning Algorithms

  • Al-Sharari, Waad;Mahmood, Mahmood A.;Abd El-Aziz, A.A.;Azim, Nesrine A.
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.131-138
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    • 2022
  • Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is viewed as one of the main general wellbeing theaters on the worldwide level all over the planet. Because of the abrupt idea of the flare-up and the irresistible force of the infection, it causes individuals tension, melancholy, and other pressure responses. The avoidance and control of the novel Covid pneumonia have moved into an imperative stage. It is fundamental to early foresee and figure of infection episode during this troublesome opportunity to control of its grimness and mortality. The entire world is investing unimaginable amounts of energy to fight against the spread of this lethal infection. In this paper, we utilized machine learning and deep learning techniques for analyzing what is going on utilizing countries shared information and for detecting the climate factors that effect on spreading Covid-19, such as humidity, sunny hours, temperature and wind speed for understanding its regular dramatic way of behaving alongside the forecast of future reachability of the COVID-2019 around the world. We utilized data collected and produced by Kaggle and the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science. The dataset has 25 attributes and 9566 objects. Our Experiment consists of two phases. In phase one, we preprocessed dataset for DL model and features were decreased to four features humidity, sunny hours, temperature and wind speed by utilized the Pearson Correlation Coefficient technique (correlation attributes feature selection). In phase two, we utilized the traditional famous six machine learning techniques for numerical datasets, and Dense Net deep learning model to predict and detect the climatic factor that aide to disease outbreak. We validated the model by using confusion matrix (CM) and measured the performance by four different metrics: accuracy, f-measure, recall, and precision.

Factors Influencing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Dedicated Hospitals for Coronavirus 19 (코로나바이러스 감염증(COVID-19) 전담병원 중환자실 간호사의 외상 후 스트레스 장애 영향 요인)

  • Jeong, Hyun Ok;Park, Hye-Ja
    • Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.170-178
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    • 2022
  • Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing post-traumatic stress disorder in intensive care unit nurses in dedicated hospitals for coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) during the peak of the outbreak. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional correlational design. A total of 100 participants completed questionnaires comprising the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), coping strategy indicator, social support, and post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic stress disorder was classified as normal, mild risk, and high risk. Data were analyzed using 𝛘2 test, Fisher's exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test with multiple comparison analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multinominal logistic regression analysis. Results: Fifty seven nurses (57.0%) had a high risk of post-traumatic stress. Higher levels of post traumatic stress were associated with higher levels of social support seeking, and higher levels of avoidance, and lower levels of social support from supervisors. Higher post traumatic growth was correlated with higher social support for seeking coping, and problem solving coping strategies, and social support from supervisors and colleagues. Post-traumatic stress risk was associated with social support seeking and supervisors' social support. In addition, a higher risk of post-traumatic stress was related to COVID-19 work duration and supervisors' social support. Conclusion: Supportive programs, including increasing social support and building coping skills, may be suggested to safeguard the mental health of critical care nurses during the pandemic.

A Study on Personal Information Protection amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Kim, Min Woo;Kim, Il Hwan;Kim, Jaehyoun;Ha, Oh Jeong;Chang, Jinsook;Park, Sangdon
    • KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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    • v.16 no.12
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    • pp.4062-4080
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    • 2022
  • COVID-19, a highly infectious disease, has affected the globe tremendously since its outbreak during late 2019 in Wuhan, China. In order to respond to the pandemic, governments around the world introduced a variety of public health measures including contact-tracing, a method to identify individuals who may have come into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient, which usually leads to quarantine of certain individuals. Like many other governments, the South Korean health authorities adopted public health measures using latest data technologies. Key data technology-based quarantine measures include:(1) Electronic Entry Log; (2) Self-check App; and (3) COVID-19 Wristband, and heavily relied on individual's personal information for contact-tracing and self-isolation. In fact, during the early stages of the pandemic, South Korea's strategy proved to be highly effective in containing the spread of coronavirus while other countries suffered significantly from the surge of COVID-19 patients. However, while the South Korean COVID-19 policy was hailed as a success, it must be noted that the government achieved this by collecting and processing a wide range of personal information. In collecting and processing personal information, the data minimum principle - one of the widely recognized common data principles between different data protection laws - should be applied. Public health measures have no exceptions, and it is even more crucial when government activities are involved. In this study, we provide an analysis of how the governments around the world reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate whether the South Korean government's digital quarantine measures ensured the protection of its citizen's right to privacy.

Trend Analysis of Studies Related to Emerging Infectious Diseases before COVID-19: Focusing on Published Papers from 2000 to 2019 in the Field of Nursing in Korea (코로나 19 이전 신종감염병 관련 연구의 동향분석: 국내 간호학 분야 2000~2019년 게재논문을 중심으로)

  • Hong, Eunjoo;Jung, Aeri
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.9-22
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    • 2022
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to suggest the direction of follow-up research by comparing and analyzing studies related to emerging infectious diseases (EID) in the field of nursing published in Korea since 2000 and before the outbreak of COVID-19 to identify overall themes and trends. Methods: The data search period was limited to papers from 2000 to 2019, and a literature review was conducted through a domestic DB search. 1574 papers extracted through search terms were excluded according to the criteria, and the final 39 papers were selected and analyzed. Results: Nursing studies related to EID consisted of 35 quantitative studies and most of them were descriptive research studies. As for specific disease types, MERS accounted for the largest number with 22, followed by 11 influenza A, 4 EID and 2 SARS. Nurses were the most common subjects with 19 cases (48.7%), and the number of study subjects was 200 or more, 23 cases (59.0%). The outcome variables of the analysis target literature were infection prevention behavior performance, knowledge, attitude, stress, anxiety, nursing intention, and infection control. Conclusion: This study is meaningful in suggesting the direction of follow-up research by identifying the trends in EID research.

Evaluation of virulence reversion of an attenuated porcine epidemic diarrhea vaccine strain by serial passages in suckling piglets

  • Da-Jeong Kim;Seung-Chai Kim;Hwan-Ju Kim;Gyeong-Seo Park;Sang Chul Kang;Won-Il Kim
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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    • v.46 no.3
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    • pp.193-202
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    • 2023
  • Porcine epidemic diarrhea is an infectious intestinal disease caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Especially, when suckling piglets are infected, the mortality rate is close to 100%. PEDV is classified into G1 and G2 types based on genetic differences. The G2 type PEDV outbreak in the United States in 2013 was highly pathogenic and contagious, and it has spread worldwide and caused continuous economic losses. Most commercial vaccines used are G1 type vaccines, and existing vaccines do not fully protect piglets due to genetic differences. In this study, we evaluated the safety of the newly developed G2 type attenuated HSGP vaccine strain by inoculating it into piglets and testing whether the vaccine virus spreads to the non-vaccinated, negative pigs and whether the vaccine reverts to its virulence during serial passage experiments. Each experiment lasted for 7 days for each passage, and fecal viral titers, clinical symptoms, and weight gain were measured daily. After the experiment, necropsy was performed to measure intestinal virus titer and pathological evaluation. As a result of the first passage, no transmission of the vaccine virus to negative pigs co-housed with vaccinated pigs was observed. In addition, after four consecutive passage experiments, the clinical symptoms and small intestine lesions were gradually alleviated, and no virus was detected in the feces in the fourth passage experiment. Therefore, it was concluded that the vaccine was safe without virulence reversion in accordance with the guidelines of the current licensing authority. However, further studies are needed on the genetic changes and biological characteristics of the mutant virus that occur during successive passages of the attenuated vaccine since the replication and clinical symptoms of the virus increased until the third passage during successive passages of the vaccine virus. Based on this study, it was concluded that virulence reversion and safety evaluation of attenuated vaccines through serial passage in target animals can be useful to evaluate the safety of attenuated viruses.

Factors Affecting Mobile Payment Acceptance and Intention: A Case Study of Hospitality Customers in Vietnam

  • PHAN, Dinh Tram Anh;NGUYEN, Thi Thuy Ngan;NGUYEN, Thi Khanh Nhi;NGUYEN, Tran Thien An;PHAN, Van Si Dan;HO, Ngoc Phuong Thao;DO, Kim Xuan;NGUYEN, Trong Luan
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.9 no.5
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    • pp.29-39
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    • 2022
  • The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the Vietnamese economy. In the midst of a complex disease that compelled people to limit their interaction, customers' shopping habits shifted from "offline" to "online" transactions. Mobile payments have also grown in popularity. The goal of this study is to figure out what factors influence the use of mobile payments by hotel clients in Can Tho after COVID-19. The research team also examines how those factors influence customers' willingness to use mobile payment and makes recommendations to better the current situation. Primary data was collected from 227 persons using online surveys and processed with SPSS software for this study. To analyze the correlation relationship between the elements determining the intention to use, the Cronbach alpha, EFA, Correlation, and Regression methods used to assess the scale are applied. Perceived Trustworthiness, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Ease of Use all have positive effects on customers' propensity to use, according to the findings. Perceived Security, on the other hand, has no bearing. The findings of this study have significant theoretical and practical implications for the development of mobile payment services in Can Tho, particularly following the implementation of COVID-19.

A Study on the Room Conversion Type when Converting a Patient Bed-Room into a Negative Pressure Isolation Room - Focused on Nationally designated Isolation Wards and Urgent Isolation Wards (일반병실을 음압격리병실로 전환 시 병실 전환 방식에 관한 연구 - 국가지정입원치료병상과 긴급치료병상을 중심으로)

  • Kim, Jiyoon;Lee, Hyunjin;Kwon, Soonjung
    • Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.29-35
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    • 2023
  • Purpose: The 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the lack of negative pressure isolation rooms and the fragility of the healthcare system. The need for healthcare facility transformation for respiratory infectious diseases has become more prominent due to COVID-19, and the purpose of this study is to provide a foundation for the rapid, economical, and safe construction of negative pressure isolation wards. Methods: This study analyzes the current status of hospitals that have been converted to negative pressure isolation rooms, and provides architectural plans and examples to provide a reference for bedroom change. Research data of this study have been obtained by analyzing the drawings of negative pressure isolation wards of nationally designated inpatient treatment beds and urgent isolation beds. In addition, the relevant literature of urgent isolation beds has been analyzed to derive bedroom change type. Result: In this study, a total of 21 isolation bed conversion methods have been presented. Implications: In order to change efficiently from a general ward to an isolation ward, it is necessary to consider the actual hospital's infectious disease transmission patterns and facility conditions.

Gender Inequalities in Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Population-based Study in Korea

  • Minku Kang;Sarah Yu;Seung-Ah Choe;Daseul Moon;Myung Ki;Byung Chul Chun
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.56 no.5
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    • pp.413-421
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    • 2023
  • Objectives: This study explored the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on psychosocial stress in prime working-age individuals in Korea, focusing on gender inequalities. We hypothesized that the impact of COVID-19 on mental health would differ by age and gender, with younger women potentially demonstrating heightened vulnerability relative to men. Methods: The study involved data from the Korea Community Health Survey and included 319 592 adults aged 30 years to 49 years. We employed log-binomial regression analysis, controlling for variables including age, education, employment status, marital status, and the presence of children. The study period included 3 phases: the period prior to the COVID-19 outbreak (pre-COVID-19), the early pandemic, and the period following the introduction of vaccinations (post-vaccination). Results: The findings indicated that women were at a heightened risk of psychosocial stress during the early pandemic (relative risk [RR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.05) and post-vaccination period (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.10) compared to men. This pattern was prominent in urban women aged 30-34 years (pre-COVID-19: RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.10; early pandemic: RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.25; post-vaccination period, RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.31). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted unequal impacts on psychosocial stress among prime working-age individuals in Korea, with women, particularly those in urban areas, experiencing a heightened risk. The findings highlight the importance of addressing gender-specific needs and implementing appropriate interventions to mitigate the psychosocial consequences of the pandemic.

Cytokine Storm Related to CD4+ T Cells in Influenza Virus-Associated Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy

  • Shushu Wang;Dongyao Wang;Xuesong Wang;Mingwu Chen;Yanshi Wang;Haoquan Zhou;Yonggang Zhou;Yong Lv;Haiming Wei
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.18.1-18.12
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    • 2024
  • Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare but deadly complication with an unclear pathogenesis. We aimed to elucidate the immune characteristics of H1N1 influenza virus-associated ANE (IANE) and provide a potential therapeutic approach for IANE. Seven pediatric cases from a concentrated outbreak of H1N1 influenza were included in this study. The patients' CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood decreased sharply in number but highly expressed Eomesodermin (Eomes), CD69 and PD-1, companied with extremely high levels of IL-6, IL-8 in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma. Patient 2, who showed high fever and seizures and was admitted to the hospital very early in the disease course, received intravenous tocilizumab and subsequently showed a reduction in temperature and a stable conscious state 24 h later. In conclusion, a proinflammatory cytokine storm associated with activated CD4+ T cells may cause severe brain pathology in IANE. Tocilizumab may be helpful in treating IANE.